


Pearls' Night Out

by theregoesjodariel



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Awkwardness, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, all of the pearls are disaster lesbians and that's the truth, heheheheheheh, the pearl teamup story you never asked for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-10 20:54:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18415667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theregoesjodariel/pseuds/theregoesjodariel
Summary: It's been a couple of weeks since Yellow Pearl and Blue Pearl moved in with the Crystal Gems and tensions are high, to say the least. Pearl decides to change that in the only way possible: a night out on the town!





	1. And Let's Bring Pearl(s)

**Author's Note:**

> Second fic, here we GO. I'll probably be getting back to Lapidot stuff once I've finished this fic, which is an idea I just absolutely could not get out of my head. It's gonna be five medium-length chapters, for sure. I'll try to update every 3 days or so, maybe even more frequently in the event that I experience a surge of productivity. As usual, feel free to drop me a line at theregoesjodariel on either Tumblr or Twitter, and enjoy!

It was a peaceful day in Beach City when the nasally shouts of Yellow Pearl permeated the air of the Temple.

“No! You got the shading all wrong!” She huffed and broke her pose to turn away from Blue, but had to brace against the stool she had been leaning against in order to stop herself from falling flat on her face.

Blue Pearl eyed her latest painting, then looked back at Yellow. “Pearl,” she said through a barely-suppressed murmury giggle, “it’s… it’s the same angle and everything. It just wasn’t dark outside like last time. The shading is literally the  _ only thing _ that changed.”

The burst of annoyance got Yellow up off the stool, turning to face her latest portrait. “ _ Guh _ , Pearl, it makes me look so  _ vapid!” _

Smiling softly, Blue picked her brush back up off of the palette. Yellow felt a pang of worry as she noticed that Blue’s face was twitching slightly. “Would this make you feel better?” Blue asked politely, and then she took her brush and proceeded to begin attacking the canvas, defacing the completed portrait.

Yellow let out an offended gasp and stepped forward with her arms outstretched, trying to wrest the brush from Blue’s hand. “I will  _ not _ stand for this treatment! Pearl, help me stop her!”

Pearl looked up from dragging her mop across the surface of the kitchen counter and let out an exasperated sigh. “Pearl,” she turned to Blue, who had put away the brush, “was that really necessary?”

The long-haired gem put her hands behind her back. “I suppose not. Yellow, I’m sorry. I’ve seen gems on trial for shattering who were less temperamental models than you.”

It was at this moment that Steven walked in, returning from a late morning run to the Big Donut. He opened the door to find Yellow Pearl growling and grabbing for Blue Pearl, Pearl trying her best to restrain her. 

It had been tense for the last couple of weeks, ever since the Diamonds had left. Beyond the regular stress of trying to create safe housing for all of the gems who had elected to stay on Earth and start anew, Steven and the Crystal Gems now had to deal with two new roommates in the forms of the Blue and Yellow Pearls. Everyone had been shocked when they voiced their desire to stay behind on Earth, especially the Diamonds, but they had all agreed to it-- all gems were free now, after all. In the weeks since, Steven had gotten to know them. Yellow was about as businesslike and pent-up as her Diamond, while Blue remained as pleasant as she had been in their brief interactions on Homeworld. He had made great strides in getting them to loosen up, too; Yellow seemed to have finally figured out what fun was and Blue just threw herself into creating art, with rumors even going around of an art exhibition being done with Lapis and Peridot.

Nonetheless, tensions were high. The usual new roommate stressors aside, there was, y’know, the fact that the two Pearls had worked for those whom the Crystal Gems had considered their mortal enemies for the past several millennia. And to make matters worse, it quickly became apparent that Blue tended to… Crack under pressure, as she apparently just done when Steven walked in.

“Uh, Pearl…?” He asked hesitantly, sensing the tension in the room.

Three pairs of eyes snapped towards him in unison. Three near-identical voices replied. “Steven?”

Steven chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. “Oh, I mean, my Pearl! Er, I mean-- Crystal Gem Pearl? Pearl Prime?”

Pearl checked to ensure that Yellow was no longer actively trying to attack Blue before letting go of her. “No fighting,” she said, casting down her tried-and-true “Terrifying Renegade” look at Yellow; she didn’t think years of war followed by surrogate motherhood would lead up to her babysitting two gems of her type, but there she was. With that thought, she crossed the room and followed Steven, who opened the front door and beckoned for her to go out to the deck.

“Pearl,” he said, his voice taking on an unusually measured tone, “I don’t think the Pearls are getting along.”

She cast a glance through the window, seeing Yellow and Blue doing their level best to give each other over-the-shoulder stink eye. “You’re telling me.” 

“We’ve gotta do something, Pearl! What if they, like… Start a new rebellion! Against the Crystal Gems.”

At this, Pearl laughed. “Steven, I don’t think,” she leaned in close, “that two royal Pearls could start a new Gem War. They couldn’t get past the networking required to do it.”

“Networking!? That’s even worse!”

She laughed again, tussling his hair. As much as he had grown up, Steven was still Steven, and Steven was a goofball. “...We just need to get them out of the Temple for a while. Give them some air.”

Steven looked up at her and beamed;  _ there _ was the ray of sunshine she loved. “You’re right! They’ve just gotta blow off steam by having some fun! Like a… Pearls’ night out!” He raised his eyebrows and cocked his chin to the side, sending Pearl into one last fit of giggles.

“Yes. A… Pearls night out. But, I… don’t think anywhere in Beach City would work. They’re too  _ stuck-up _ for the Boardwalk.”

Steven put a hand to his chin, deep in thought, before proudly pointing a finger skyward. Pearl could almost see the lightbulb always going off over his head. “Where are you thinking?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well… I know a place that’s always exciting.”

Pearl and Steven marched through the door, an uncharacteristic air of authority about them that made Blue and Yellow look up. Pearl approached them on the couch and spoke.

“Pearls, pack your bags. Tonight, we’re going to Empire City!”


	2. Mean Pearls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yellow Pearl discovers the joys of the Great American Shopping Mall.  
> Yellow Pearl. In a mall. This can only go so well.

The sun had just dipped below the extravagant Empire City skyline when Pearl pulled into the public parking lot in the beat-up SUV she’d borrowed from Greg. Yellow had asked if they could stay at Le Hotel when they passed it; Pearl had kept driving.

“Alright, you’ve each got 300 dollars of spending money,” she said, doling out stacks of money to her two doppelgängers. “We meet back here at midnight, so you’ve got around 5 hours to do whatever you want, okay?”

Blue and Yellow nodded in understanding, though Yellow really didn’t get it at all. What was she supposed to do, have “fun?” She didn’t see many opportunities for that on the way here, having spent most of her time learning to experience “fun” by passing judgment on the minutiae of the Gems’ day-to-day activities, modeling for Blue, and playing video games with Steven.

“Okay!” Pearl said. “I’ll see you back here then. Have fun, you two!” With that, she skipped-- not walked, not ran, skipped-- away from the parking lot. She had been giddy throughout the car ride. Yellow assumed she’d already made plans.

The two former court Pearls stood in silence, looking around at their surroundings. From where they were standing, there wasn’t much to see: the radiant skyscrapers of Empire City dwarfed them, the sidewalks were blanketed by pedestrians and all of the public places around seemed to be stores. “This feels wrong,” Yellow deadpanned. 

“You can tag along with me if you’d like,” Blue murmured. “I saw an art gallery on the way here. I’m going to go see it, assess if Lapis, Peridot and I are doing it right.”

“Hmm… Do you think,” began Yellow, “that the humans who made the art on display will take criticism?”

* * *

 

When they reached the building Blue had seen, Yellow’s jaw dropped. Even she had to admit it was beautiful. It was a large, elegant structure, with beautiful shining walls and a glass dome in place of a roof. Banners advertising stores and the aforementioned art gallery hung from the large columns flanking the entrance, all of them marked with a logo: Brooklyn Mall. 

Her marvel grew even further when they entered. The inside of the building was just as impressive, with walls crafted from opulent marble, polished floors, and a massive fountain in the center of the chamber. Elevators and escalators ran countless humans up and down the mall’s four levels to various stores and other facilities. And the  _ people _ ! Yellow didn’t know much about Earth culture, but she knew enough to see that these people were clearly upper-crust. They were wearing the most exquisite outfits, eating the most expensive food. 

Yellow felt something she hadn’t felt since electing to stay on Earth-- she felt like she  _ fit in _ .

“Alright, I’m going to go visit that-- Pearl?” Blue asked, concerned. Yellow had stars in her eyes and was letting out a long, drawn-out sigh. 

Blue snapped her out of it. “Y-yes, you go do that! Have… _ fun _ ,” Yellow said, straining on the last word. It still sounded strange on her tongue. In response, Blue frowned slightly, shrugged, and set off for the art gallery.

Yellow began wandering aimlessly, trying to see everything there was to see. Stars, what should she do first? There were so many options; she could try human clothes, as Peridot had once recommended, or she could, perhaps, try one of the restaurants here (she still didn’t understand the appeal of eating, but hey, this was a good place to try!). She decided on one of the clothing stores first, boarding the escalator to the second level to go to the one that seemingly everyone else was also shopping at, a big place called Lacey’s. 

Stepping into the store, she could see why it was the destination of the rest of the mallgoers. Lacey’s was clearly the Brooklyn Mall’s main attraction, boasting at least two levels of high-class clothes and accessories split up into various departments. Once again, Yellow had to admire the sheer  _ polish _ on display here. The air stank of superiority and elitism, and she  _ loved _ it. 

“Can I help you with anything?” A employee asked as she approached Yellow. Internally, Yellow cursed herself for looking so visibly starstruck; she was still iffy on the finer details of human social etiquette, having not fully mastered the high five (which she found to be sorely lacking in altitude) and the fist bump (which she just thought was barbaric). Reluctantly, she turned to face the employee.

And as she did, her simply being awed by the store turned into something else-- she was, simply put, totally tongue tied. The tall woman standing before the gem was beautiful, with long, grey hair (seemingly dyed) and dull blue eyes. 

A blush crept across Yellow Pearl’s cheeks as she tried to summon the mental fortitude to talk. “Ah-- er-- um, I’m… j-just browsing?” She finally managed to get the words out slowly and painfully. “Though I appreciate your concern.”

Thankfully, the woman either failed to notice what a mess Yellow was or just took it very well. “Oh, okay!” she said cheerfully and oh  _ stars _ Yellow needed to get out of there. “If you need anything from me, just head to customer service and ask for Rhiannon.” And with that, she was gone.

Yellow let out a long sigh and contemplated just exiting Lacey’s in favor of visiting some other store or perhaps finding Blue, but something stopped her. Well, more accurately, some _ one _ stopped her, someone who-- no, no, she wasn’t going to think about Rhiannon. She was going to think about… Dresses, she told herself as she made a beeline for the part of the store where several rather expensive ones were on display.

She kept repeating it in her head.  _ Think about dresses, think about dresses, think about dresses. _ So many times, in fact, that she failed to notice the trio of people, a man flanked by two women, walking parallel to her until she walked face first into them. 

“Hey, watch where you’re going, coat rack!” Shouted the man in the center; Yellow’s bumping into him had nearly caused him to spill his coffee. He wore a white scarf, jeans, and a brown jacket, with a red hoodie under it. She didn’t know what a “coat rack”  _ was _ , exactly, but based on the man’s tone it sounded moderately insulting.

The woman to his right lowered the sunglasses she was wearing and narrowed her eyes at Yellow. “Girl, what are you  _ wearing!?” _ she exclaimed. Yellow had heard all of twelve words from these people and she wanted to punch them. 

The man in the center let out a loud laugh. “Yeah, Swan River auditions are two blocks down!” At this, the woman to his left muttered a little “nice one Kevin” and gave him a high five.

Yellow had had enough of this. She shot to her feet, standing up straight with her head held high. “I’ll have you know that my uniform is standard attire for only the best of the best Gems of Homeworld!” She declared. The two women just stared at her, confused. Kevin, meanwhile, had his face screwed into a mask of passive rage.

“Aw jeez, you’re one of that little magic kid’s friends, aren’t you?” He said, furrowing his brow.

“That  _ ‘magic kid’ _ is Steven Quartz Universe, honorary member of the Great Diamond Auth--” 

It was at this point that Yellow began looking closely at the woman who had lowered her shades to look at her. She was wearing something around her neck, some kind of string with… a  _ pearl _ hanging off of it!? “ _ Oh my stars _ ! How  _ dare _ you!” Yellow had never seen such a display of pure cruelty, her expression shifting from a mask of shock and horror to one of pure righteous fury. 

As she charged at the woman, she was glad she finally had a use for those basic combat lessons Yellow Diamond had commanded her to take.

* * *

 

For the second time that night, Yellow landed on the floor with a dull thud as the store security guards quite literally threw her out of the store.

She had no idea why it was  _ her _ they were kicking out-- did they not see that human woman’s open display of pure barbarism? She began to pull herself up when she heard familiar footsteps coming towards her, and her face once again turned a darker shade of gold when she looked up.

“Are you-- are you okay?” Asked Rhiannon, coming out of the store. She actually had a bright smile plastered on her face, even if her eyes were wide with worry. “I, uh… Saw what happened. Here, let me help you up.”

She offered Yellow a hand and Yellow gladly took it, getting back on her feet. “So you saw that my attack was more than justified, then.” She was still frustrated; if she were on Homeworld, those brats would already be in a cell awaiting a Defense Zircon. “But somehow,  _ I _ was in the wrong! Human culture continues to elude me.”

Rhiannon raised an eyebrow at this-- meeting apparent aliens was not part of her daily routine, strange as some customers were. “You’re telling me,” she chuckled lightly. Yellow’s heart was in trouble. “So, does that actually mean you’re an…”

“Alien?” Asked Yellow. “Yes, I suppose to you I am. I am a Pearl and proud servant of the elegant Yellow Diamond.” She mentally slapped herself. Rhiannon obviously had no idea what Homeworld was, much less who the Diamonds were.

“Sounds classy,” said Rhiannon. “Well, I guess you’re banned from this store now,” she smirked as she said this, showing the light dimples on her cheeks.

“The people who so politely  _ escorted _ me out said as much,” Yellow huffed nervously, getting another laugh from the woman before her. “It’s a shame. You seemed to have some lovely wares on sale.”

“Pfft, not really! You can find way better stuff at way cheaper places.”

“What would be the point, though? From what I understand, clothing is a symbol of social status here.”

Rhiannon shrugged, putting her hands to her shoulders. “Well, yeah, but most people don’t shop at places like this all that often,” she said matter-of-factly, looking down at the floor. She hesitated before she spoke again. “If-- if you want, I could… Show you some places that are less likely to have awful people like Kevin in them.”

Now both woman and gem were blushing nervously, but Yellow once again found the fortitude to continue talking. “Oh! That would be lovely, Rhiannon.” She stopped talking abruptly. Speaking so positively, so emotionally, was  _ not _ like her.

At this, Rhiannon looked back up. “Okay! Lemme just-- here,” she took a small piece of paper and a pen out of her handbag and started writing, handing it to Yellow when she was done. 

“Are these the coordinates of the shopping pavilion you plan to take me to?” Asked Yellow as she confusedly studied the numbers on the paper.

Rhiannon responded with a full-bodied laugh. “No, Pearl! That’s a phone number.  _ My _ phone number. Just dial it on a phone or send it a text and I’ll be able to call and text back!” That actually helped, Yellow having heard Steven and Pearl mention the devices in the past.

“Ah, I see. Human ingenuity!” She folded the paper up and beamed it into her gem, eliciting a gasp from Rhiannon. “So, I suppose I shall contact you later, then?”

Rhiannon brushed some of her long hair back behind her ear. “Y-yeah, totally,” she said nervously. Yellow started to walk away, but stopped when she heard her begin to say something again. “Oh, and for what it’s worth,” she began, “I think you look great.”

Yellow put her head down to hide her now-furious blush and began walking again. She needed to find Blue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dang, this chapter turned out longer than I thought I'd be-- twice as long, in fact! I'm planning to release chapter 3 on Monday (4/15), as planned, but I've got stuff for classes due over the weekend (I actually got this chapter done early, go me), so I make no promises.  
> Also, I'll be posting writer's notes for this fic over on my Tumblr (@theregoesjodariel), so if you're interested in things like the oddly huge amount of research put into writing the Brooklyn Mall or how this story almost featured a fourth Pearl, check those out!


	3. Calling Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl makes a long-overdue phonecall and rekindles an old flame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A friend of mine said she was starved for good lesbian content. I aim to please.  
> Enjoy the new chapter, y'all! I'll be keeping behind-the-scenes notes to my Tumblr (the first post will be out tonight and my url's theregoesjodariel-- check it out if you're interested), but I do want to address one thing: I'm going with Sheena as Mystery Girl's name as it was the name Jesse Zuke used to refer to her when working on "Last One Out of Beach City." With that, I'll let y'all get to it!

Pearl was mad with anticipation and anxiety as she approached the small cafe. For her thousands of years spent living her life she had no idea,  _ absolutely _ no idea, how she was supposed to play this. She her hand pressed against her mouth-- some habits died hard-- and was pacing the small space between the door and the small waiting area.

What was she going to say?

* * *

 

_ She rolled her eyes at Yellow and Blue’s bickering and finished packing her small overnight bag. She really hoped the night in Empire City would do the other two Pearls good, for  _ her _ sake. Letting out a frustrated huff, she stepped out of the Temple and onto the deck, cellphone in hand. Her finger hovered over one of her contacts. _

_ She hadn’t spoken to Sheena, the Mystery Girl she’d met that night out with Steven and Amethyst, in quite a while. They had talked a few times over the phone (during which she had never been sure whether Sheena thought of her odd statements relating to gemkind as just deep metaphor or actual fact), but their schedules never cleared up enough for them to go on an actual date. There had been the whole Human Zoo thing and the trip to Homeworld and everything in between and after and she just… hadn’t had the time to speak to her.  _

_ But she was making excuses and she knew it. The truth was she had never really been in a proper relationship. Especially not one with a  _ human _. She’d considered going to Greg for advice since she started racking up scraps of paper with girls’ numbers inscribed on them a couple of times. She always backed out before she actually asked, though. _

Well... it’s now or never,  _ she thought. She pressed the call button and brought the phone up to her ear. _

_ Three rings later, she got an answer. _

_ “...Pearl?” Sheena asked. Pearl thought she sounded groggy. _

_ “Oh, I’m so sorry! Did I wake you up?” She was alarmed; if that was indeed what had happened, it wouldn’t help her case. _

_ “I mean, yeah? But it’s no biggie,” she chuckled. “What  _ is _ a biggie is you calling me out of the blue. It’s been a hot minute.” _

_Pearl gulped. “I know, and I really do have to apologize. I’ve been so busy. I had to take care of Steven when we went into space, then I had to look for him when some gems from Homeworld took him, and then I actually_ went back _to Homeworld and-- and-- and--” Oh no, she was starting to sputter._

_ “Pearl, it’s  _ fine! _ I forgive you,” she said quickly, “or, actually, I’m not sure if you even have to be sorry. We never exactly cleared up our relationship.” She let out a nervous laugh that calmed Pearl down by making her melt. “You and your alien shenanigans.” _

_ “Yes, my… alien shenanigans,” she chirped. “Which are… real, by the way. I’m not just always speaking in metaphor. I could  _ never _ be that deep.” This got some quiet “I know”s and more laughs from Sheena. “But for the time being, all of that is on hold. And I finally have a free schedule again.” _

_ “ _ Really _ now?” Oh stars, was Sheena  _ flirting? _ Pearl was still too much of a repressed nerd for this. _

_ “Y-yep!” She could feel the color rising to her solid-light cheeks. “So…” She began, “are you still living in Empire City? Because I’m visiting there tonight.” _

_ A long pause from Sheena. Then: “Ooh, I know a really good place we could go grab a bite at! I’ll text you an address.” _

_ And for the first time in a long time, Pearl found herself looking forward to  _ eating food _. “Okay!” _

_ “Cool,” said Sheena. “It’s a date.” _

* * *

 

Pearl had been early. She now realized that had been a mistake. Sheena, as she could see from looking at her…  _ Everything _ … was the kind of person who was fashionably late. This left Pearl alone with her thoughts for even longer. She was slowly creeping towards a state of panic.

What was she going to  _ say _ ? Should she use one of those pickup lines Amethyst had told her? Fill Sheena in on everything that had happened to her?

She was this close to deciding on the pickup line route when a flash of pink hair moved past the shop window and through the door.

Pearl looked up at Sheena and smiled. She hadn’t changed a bit-- still had that grunge

aesthetic about her, and did she have a new piercing?

“Ooh, I  _ love _ the jacket!” Sheena said. Deep down, Pearl was kind of hoping she’d say that-- when she chose to regenerate with the article of clothing, she’d been thinking of that night out. To some extent, Sheena had been the inspiration for it.

Pearl rubbed her left arm with her right hand. “Thanks!” She said, her worry newly replaced by giddiness. “The new outfit possibilities are definitely one of the perks of temporarily ceasing to function for several days.”

Sheena looked alarmed at receiving that crucial bit of information. “What, were you in, like, a coma?” She asked, her voice losing its usual devil-may-care edge.

But Pearl didn’t really see an issue with being upfront about what had happened; she had no reason to be secretive about what she really was. “Not exactly. My body was simply destroyed, so I had to retreat into my gem to reform it. It happens.”

“If you say so,” Sheena deadpanned. 

“Shall we commence the dinner?”

She was back to grinning. “We shall.”

And so the two sat down at a table and ordered dinner. Sheena got a sandwich, while Pearl got a salad, one of the few human meals she could bring herself to stomach. They talked about whatever came up: how Pearl had used the power of her cellphone to reveal a millennia-old secret to Steven, Sheena’s first time going backstage at her favorite band’s concert on her birthday and them playing a song called “Super Rad” for her, what exactly fusion entailed in basic terms.

But as they talked, Pearl noticed little signs that Sheena’s mood was falling. Her shoulders, normally so relaxed, were a bit more hunched, and she cast glances downward at the table more and more frequently. 

She couldn’t stand it. “Sheena, is… everything okay?”

Sheena laughed lightly. If Pearl didn’t know any better, she’d say it sounded bitter. “I’m okay, Pearl. It’s just…” she hesitated; Pearl didn’t like that hesitation. “Your life just sounds… So much more interesting than mine, y’know? I have Aquabats concerts and you have fights against big hot alien laides.”

If this had been any other situation, Pearl would have let out a sigh of relief. Instead, she let out a mirthful chuckle. “Pfft, haha!  _ My  _ life is interesting? Sheena, I didn’t even know what an Aquabat was until you told me about them, and now that you have I know that the Earth has more protectors than the Crystal Gems.”

At this, Sheena let out a snort, her vacant expression turning into a small smile. “They’re not actually-- nevermind. But you-- you know what I mean, Pearl. You’re a beautiful alien chick and I’m a cashier at a comic book store.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I mean… do you even  _ have _ relationships? Like humans do?”

Much as her brain may have short-circuited at Sheena calling her beautiful, Pearl recognized that the conversation had turned deadly serious. She paused for a moment, thinking. She had called Sheena as soon as she and Steven had decided she and the other Pearls should go to Empire City. And before that, she had spent an entire night doing things she  _ never _ would have done just so she’d have a chance to talk to Sheena. 

Well, two instances of unexpected boldness deserved another. She put a hand over Sheena’s free one. “It’s not unheard of,” she said, a wistful smile creeping across her face.

Sheena froze. Then she was smiling, too. “Heh… Okay, then,” she said. Inwardly, Pearl let out a sigh of relief; her tone had returned to being cool and relaxed. “But you have  _ gotta _ let me in on some of these gem adventures.”

Pearl kept her hand lazily holding Sheena’s. “If you insist,” she said, “but I’ll have to train you at sword-fighting first.”

The other woman’s jaw dropped. “Oh,  _ man! _ That. Sounds.  _ Awesome!” _ Her tone was something Pearl had never heard from her before: starstruck. “I do have to deal with straight male fanboys on a daily basis.” She said, half-serious. “Do you think that’ll translate to skill with a blade?”

Straight-faced, Pearl replied simply. “I have no idea what most of the words in that sentence mean.” 

Sheena started cackling. “Ah, blissful ignorance,” she managed to get out. It was infectious; soon Pearl was doubled over, too. 

After they had recovered, Sheena locked eyes with Pearl again. Her eyes were beautiful, and Pearl hadn’t really noticed it before. She may have looked a  _ little _ like Rose on the surface, but her jade green eyes spoke of a very different soul.

And Pearl thought she liked those differences.

Sheena was beaming. “Take me on a sword-fighting date, cool alien lady,” she said.

Pearl blurted her next words out before she could stop herself. “Are you free tomorrow?” Her eyes widened in horror at having just said it.

But Sheena just shortened the distance between their faces, until Pearl could feel her breath. “It’s a date,” she whispered.

And then the distance grew shorter. Their lips were half an inch apart at best. 

Sheena tilted her head to the side. Closed her eyes.

...And then Pearl’s phone started ringing.

Pearl let out an angry yelp and pulled away. “I’m sorry. It could be Steven checking up on me or one of my… Friends out on the town tonight. They could need help.” Sheena gave her a look of understanding, knowing a date was still in the works for the following day. Pearl took her phone out of her pocket and looked at it quizzically-- unknown number. She tapped Answer.

Blue’s small voice crackled with uncertainty on the other end of the line. “Pearl?” she asked.

“Blue? What’s wrong?” If Pearl could read anyone, it was other Pearls, and she just knew based on her tone that Blue  _ really _ didn’t want to tell her what she was about to.

“I think I’m under arrest.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy your cliffhanger!  
> Next time: Blue Pearl visits an art gallery.


	4. High Art

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blue Pearl snaps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter coming out a day ahead of schedule because I'm anxious. Enjoy!

Blue Pearl had been the one to suggest to Yellow Pearl that the two stay behind on Earth.

Yellow’s initial reaction had been one of shock and mild disgust, but that had melted away. The prospect of true freedom, the freedom to do whatever she wanted without the overbearing presence of the Diamonds (who they still loved, of course) had gotten to her in the same way it had gotten to Blue. And so, the two had decided to stay, though Yellow  _ swore _ it was just a vacation, and had received nothing but support for their decision from their Diamonds (Yellow Diamond even attempted to encourage them by performing a bizarre Earth gesture she had learned from Steven, the “dab,” but had almost hit White in doing so). 

That first night staying with the Crystal Gems, Steven had given Blue a canvas and some watercolors to practice her painting. She had painted a selection of azure splotches, tore the canvas off of its stand, and threw it into the sea.

Blue Diamond had been great,  _ really _ great. She was very accommodating to Blue’s needs, giving her time to explore Homeworld’s bustling cityscapes herself, allowing her to take keepsakes from planets they visited, even encouraged her to continue making sketches. But to Blue Diamond, she knew, she was still  _ just a Pearl _ . Forever destined to serve her needs first, the needs of the other Diamonds second, and her own needs third. It was why she always admired Rose’s-- er, Pink’s second Pearl, the terrifying renegade who had trained in multiple fighting styles and could do things like cooking and knitting. When she found out that she and  _ Steven’s _ Pearl were one on the same, she had tried to work up the courage to speak to her at length, but only got as far as a little “welcome back” on Homeworld. 

When she made the decision to stay behind, the decision a  _ rebel _ would make, she expected action. She expected fighting against villains who would do the Earth harm. She expected slapping a big star across her chest.

But she was back where she started: in a stuffy mall, looking at a painting. And serving, if only tangentially, a Diamond (or a Steven, as he preferred to be called).

The art gallery was nothing short of refined. It was in one of the mall’s many former store spaces, converted into three decently-sized rooms full of paintings and sculptures by a group of artists who shared a studio. It was the gallery’s opening night, so the room was occupied by a combination of regular mallgoers who had gotten curious and wealthy socialites there to either buy or commission artwork, though if one squinted, they could hardly tell the difference. This left Blue feeling only a  _ bit _ conspicuous for her inhumanly-pallid skin and the outfit that made so much symbolic sense to her but just looked like a ballet costume to most humans.

She decided her thoughts were getting to her too much and just focused on the painting she was viewing. It depicted a small, grassy mountain under a starry night sky, with a sharp, angular pink obelisk rising from the edge of it and into the sky. A placard under the painting revealed its title: “Mountain in Korea.” 

Out of the corner of her eye, Blue noticed that someone had moved to stand next to her, looking at the same painting. She had no idea how to act in a situation such as this-- did humans normally chat about the meaning of fine art while looking at that art? She took the safe route, remained silent.

It was the woman beside her who chose to break the silence. “Well, I certainly enjoy the colors on this piece,” she said quietly. Her voice had a sophisticated drawl to it, befitting a native citizen of Empire City.

Blue turned her head to face the woman next to her, though the woman only reciprocated by shifting her own ever so slightly. She was dressed in a pantsuit with padded shoulders, making her arms appear more firm than they really were. Her skin was dark, and her jet-black hair was done up in a style that Blue found reminded her of the helmet designs or Quartz soldiers. Blue couldn’t quite see her eyes clearly from this angle, but she thought they were brown, with an icy, detached sheen to them. 

She couldn’t deny that she found this woman attractive, but she swallowed those thoughts.  _ Keep the conversation polite, _ she thought. “I like the colors on the… tower. The greens come off as too much to me, though. They take away from the focal point of the scene.” 

Blue could make out the faint impression of a smile crawling across the woman’s lips. “It’s so rare to hear real, genuine criticism at events like this,” she said, her voice taking on a more cheerful tone. “I love to find the good points of art, don’t get me wrong. But sometimes a little constructive criticism helps.”

“So you’re an art critic, then?” She asked, her eyes wide with interest underneath her long bangs.

“If you can call it that,” she scoffed teasingly, “based on the puff pieces I write. Because that’s what they are, really. Usually the gallery’s curators have paid the paper I write for to schill it a little and it’s my job to go along with it.” 

Behind the two women, an elderly man viewing the gallery had tripped and fallen, dropping his cane on the floor. Two other men were trying to get him into a wheelchair. Blue noticed this, and would have helped, but she was transfixed by what this woman had just said. “Isn’t that a bit… unethical?” she asked, more concerned than she ought to have been.

The woman let out a chuckle before covering her mouth, looking around to make sure she hadn’t just killed the mood of the entire room. “Hey, it’s what gets me paid. And writing is still fun, even if it doesn’t quite have the spark to it that was there when I got started. Nothing wrong with being positive.” She finally turned to face Blue fully and, once again, Blue found herself admiring her features. “Where are my manners?” She extended a hand. “My name is Diane.”

Oh, Blue knew this one! It was a hand gesture Steven had taught her. She extended one of her hands, balled it into a fist, and lightly hit it against Diane’s outstretched palm, eliciting another giggle. “Pearl,” she said pleasantly.

“Pleasure to meet you,” said Diane, her tone returning to being somewhat more neutral. “Just by looking at you and seeing that little fist bump, something tells me you’re an artist. The cute hair tells me… painting is your specialty.”

A gear stopped turning in Blue’s head for a split second. Did Diane just call her… cute?  _ She must’ve just been speaking generally _ , she thought to herself. She did have to give the taller woman points, though-- she had read her exact hobby just by looking at her. “Yes, though I started doing… trial sketches,” she said. “But I mostly do paintings now.”

Diane perked up a bit more; painting was clearly her wheelhouse. “Well,” she began, “if you ever have a gallery in town, or  _ want _ a gallery in town, Pearl, just give me a call. I would love to look at some of your work.”

That did it-- Blue was blushing. “O-oh! Thank you!” She had seen Pearl react similarly erratic before they had all gone their separate ways earlier; was “flustered” just the default setting for Pearls whenever they saw a beautiful woman? “I am not sure if I’ll be doing a gallery anytime soon, though I do have some decent finished pieces. I wouldn’t even know where to begin on putting a full exhibition together.”

“That’s understandable, but I encourage you to try as soon as you can! Breaking into the art world ain’t exactly easy,” replied Diane.

Diane didn’t know how those words felt to Blue. Breaking into art wasn’t easy. Living on Homeworld wasn’t easy. And now, neither was living on Earth. It… didn’t feel good to have those thoughts put into words. 

But Blue retained her composure. She turned back to the painting. “I’ll consider it,” she said, her voice now distant and icy. And then, after a moment’s hesitation: “Thank you for the advice.”

“Hey, don’t mention it!” Diane turned away too, now once again facing the painting herself. She could tell she’d struck a nerve. “Well, ah, I suppose I should be going! Lovely meeting you, Pearl!” And with a small nod from Blue in reply, she walked away.

Blue Pearl had to admit the truth: she was  _ bitter _ about being on Earth, and about how similar it felt to her time under Blue Diamond. She still felt docile, still felt subservient, still felt like she wasn’t her own Gem.

Diane had said criticism no longer had the same spark that it did when she started. And Blue felt the same way, only in regards to being submissive. To being a secondary concern.

To being a  _ Pearl. _

And now here she was, in a place that she now knew was playing dirty to get noticed. The art all around her, which she considered amateur at best (she would know, having been an amateur just months ago), had already bought and paid for a positive reception. If anyone actually decided to criticise it, to  _ rebel _ , they would just go unnoticed. 

Blue turned around and began to storm out of the room. But then, as she looked down at the ground, Blue noticed the cane that the old man had dropped moments before, seemingly left behind. A small, mischievous smile formed on her face.

All this place needed… was a  _ spark. _

She picked up the cane and walked back over to the painting, raising it over her head.

* * *

 

One trashed art gallery later, she had been allowed one phone call as mall security took her to the small jail cell located behind her office. She had called Pearl, not knowing who else to call, and Pearl had (very irritably) told her that she was on her way. Pearl would probably chew her out: lots of “what were you  _ thinking!? _ ” and “you  _ know  _ that is very not-allowed!” 

Blue didn’t really care. She still couldn’t stop herself from giggling, alone in the large temporary cell.

She had _done it_! She had rebelled, had made clear all of her grievances, and even if she was being punished for it, she _knew_ she was in the right! She was a protector! She was a _Crystal Gem_!  
She had… stars, she had just destroyed a tiny meaningless art gallery, hadn’t she?

And so it was that the giggles turned to sobs, to another reminder of how futile it was for her to search for meaning in the menial. 

Why had she decided to come to Earth? She didn’t belong with the Crystal Gems with times more peaceful than she’d ever seen them. What was she going to do, go serve one of the newly-uncorrupted Gems? It was all so  _ pointless _ !

Just then, a security guard entered the room and walked over to the cell. And standing behind him, Blue found the point she had been looking for. “Your bail’s been paid,” he said sternly as he unlocked the cell.

Timidly, Blue got up and walked out, until she was standing in front of Diane, who had a massive grin plastered across her face.

“Now  _ that _ was art,” she said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up: the conclusion.  
> Should be posted on Friday! Oh, and if you didn't see it before, here's the first of two behind-the-scenes posts on my blog: http://theregoesjodariel.tumblr.com/post/184216828470/pearls-night-out-notes-for-chapters-1-3


	5. Don't Cost Nothin'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The finale. Yellow and Blue wrap up their nights and Pearl makes a move.

Blue and Diane strolled out of the Brooklyn Mall to find Pearl and Yellow anxiously pacing up and down the steps in front of the entrance. Pearl had her hands to her temples, nervously rubbing them while she muttered things under her breath; Sheena was following her, attempting to place her hands on Pearl’s shoulders to steady her. Yellow, meanwhile, was shouting and pulling at her own hard-light hair.

As Blue exited the building, though, both of her fellow Pearls stopped. Their eyes shot up, a look of curiosity in Yellow’s and a look of irritation mixed with anger in Pearl’s.

“Blue, what did you  _ do!? _ ” she said; she hadn’t reacted like this since the early days of taking care of Steven. “What happened-- how are you  _ here?” _

“Diane bailed me out,” Blue said matter-of-factly, gesturing to the taller woman beside her, who gave a small smile and wave. “Pearl, I must apologize for my actions tonight,” she began. “I just wanted to feel like a… a Crystal Gem.”

At this, Pearl’s jaw dropped. Of all the things she expected out of Blue, the desire to be a Terrifying Renegade as she had once been was decidedly not one of them. She cleared her throat. “I, ah, well-- while I appreciate that, Blue, I hardly think human art gallery owners were oppressing our freedom.”

Next to her, Diane let out a snort. “I believe they were… limiting the free will of their fellow humans to some extent...” She turned to look at Diane, who had begun to snicker. “...Though maybe not to the extent that I took it to.”

Yellow approached the group. “I must say, this has turned out to be some evening. You faced a dictatorial art installation, I fought a group of shatter-crazed murderers-- stars, Pearl, I shudder to think at what your night must have entailed.”

Pearl felt a blush coming on and cast a nervous glance over to Sheena. She was apart from the rest of the group, trying to follow the conversation. She had been angry at Blue for interrupting their moment together earlier, but that anger had since dissipated in favor of what had started it: longing. Sheena was a mystery to her, and she wanted to try her best to change that.

“Pearl?”

But Yellow Pearl’s calls to her didn’t register. On autopilot, she broke away from the group and walked over to Sheena, a nervous, goofy grin dawning on her face.

The pink-haired woman looked at her in alarm, though that dissipated quickly when she saw her face. “Hey.”

_ Oh, stars. I have to, _ Pearl thought to herself.

She tilted her face to the side and moved her arms over Sheena’s shoulders. In response, the girl moved her hands to Pearl’s waist and pulled her close.

Their lips connected. It was tender, lingering.

It was  _ electric _ . So different from fusion, yet so similar in terms of pure emotional intimacy. It felt like the connection of two halves that she didn’t know were apart. 

The moments seemed to melt and bleed together, only to go right back to feeling like they weren’t enough when Pearl pulled away.

“Hey,” she replied in the most swagger-filled voice she could muster. Sheena burst out laughing, almost doubling over from how much she was losing it.

Just then, Pearl remembered the other three onlookers to the scene and turned to face them. Blue’s eyes were so wide with shock that she could almost see them peeking through her blinding bangs, Diane was smiling slightly, and Yellow was, as usual, all business.

“Well,” said Yellow, snapping Blue out of her shock, “I believe this night out was a success, wouldn’t you agree, Pearls?”

All Pearl and Blue could do was nod.

* * *

 

It was a peaceful day in Beach City when sounds of admiration permeated the air of the Temple.

“Pearl, that shading is  _ impeccable _ !” Diane said, almost starry eyed.

Blue had tried something a bit more abstract with her newest work. Using Yellow and Rhiannon as models, she had painted what Yellow swore up and down was an accurate depiction of her assault on Kevin’s pearl-wearing friend. She had played the role of Kevin’s friend, as she now certainly looked the part after returning from clothes shopping with the mall employee, while Rhiannon stood in for Yellow. In violent hues of yellow and red, Blue had painted an image of a small warrior, wielding a flail, taking on a looming figure, clawed hands outstretched.

Okay, maybe Yellow had taken  _ some _ artistic liberties in the retelling.

From the couch, Pearl and Sheena looked on at the scene. They had just completed Sheena’s second day of training; as she had accurately guessed, she was quite a natural with a sword, and Pearl was considering mixing things up by having her try out some other weapons. Right now, though, the two were snuggled up close, enjoying a moment of relaxation.

Steven entered the Temple just then, flanked by Garnet. The two made a beeline for the kitchen-- Pearl knew they were going to a picnic with Lars and the Off-Colors (Garnet insisted on calling it a “double-date” whenever she and Rhodonite hung out together). Turning to look at the scene in the living room area, Steven and Garnet both shot Pearl winks and thumbs-up.

“Hello, Pearls…” Just then, though, Steven noticed the two human women sharing company with the other two Pearls. “Oh, and friends!” His enthusiasm was infectious and was met with greeting by everyone else. Pearl couldn’t help but notice that there was something in Steven’s eyes when he saw Rhiannon and Diane, though. Was it… surprise?

* * *

 

Later that night, Blue and Yellow had left the Temple along with their partners, heading to the Boardwalk. It was then that Steven returned home, a sly smile on his face.

“...is there any particular reason for this look, Steven?”

Steven wiggled his eyebrows, eliciting a giggle from Sheena. “Is no one else gonna say it?”

“Say what?” Pearl asked.

“Hm?”

“Say  _ what _ , Steven?”

“I guess I will, then!” Steven paused for dramatic effect. Then: “the other Pearls’ new friends totally look like Yellow and Blue Diamond.”

Pearl scoffed. Was that all? “I don’t see it. Rhiannon and Yellow Diamond couldn’t  _ be _ any more different.”

Steven snickered.

“Nope. She looks like Blue Diamond.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, y'all! This is, I think, the longest prose story I've ever written (28 pages, according to Google Docs), and I'm very happy with how it turned out. I hope you guys are, too! And, of course, thanks for all of your comments and kudos-- always great to see genuine interest in my writing from readers.  
> I'll be releasing the second behind-the-scenes post sometime tomorrow. One more time, it's on my Tumblr (theregoesjodariel) if you'd like to take a look.  
> Coming up next from me, the author: either more Supergem stuff or a Jaspearl story I've been tossing around ideas for.


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